Windows has its way of updating the drivers on your computer, but for some reason, it would sometimes fail to get the latest drivers available. You also need to download the new operating system updates before you are allowed to download and install the latest drivers.
Thankfully, some third-party apps like Driver Easy allow users to download the latest drivers without having to download the new operating system update which usually makes the operation a little more unstable.
In this article, we take a look at Driver Easy and many of its features including the ability to scan new driver updates and install them.
What is Driver Easy?
Driver Easy is a software utility for various computer operating systems that allows users to scan and download all the latest drivers for each specific device. The app is subscription-based, but users can still use the app with no problem for free, although limited as per automated services.
Unlike other programs, the drivers are directly from within the app with access to its folder path. Users may also back up their installed drivers to a specific folder, or roll back drivers to the previous version.
What are the features of Driver Easy?
Automatic update
One of the main features of Driver Easy is its automatic update. After fetching the latest drivers, you can go back to the main page and click on the “Update” tab to see all the latest versions. You can click on “Update All” to initiate the process if you are a paying customer. If you are using the free version of the app, you can still update the drivers but it would be a manual process. We will have instructions below on how to do that.
Extensive hardware info (admin)
Just below the “Update” tab, you will see another tab called “Hardware Info”. Accessing this tab requires adding permission. It allows you to see extensive information about your hardware like CPU, motherboard, memory, and graphics. You may also save all the information in TXT format.
Driver backup
Driver Easy lets users make a backup of their current drivers to specific folders for safekeeping in case the newer ones cause some problems. This feature can be found via the “Tools” tab which also includes other things like restoring and uninstalling drivers.
Restore and uninstall drivers
After creating a backup of the current drivers, Driver Easy also lets you restore the old drivers in case you encounter some problems along the way. The backup stored by Driver Easy is in ZIP format and will unzip itself should you need a driver restore in the future.
If you want to uninstall the driver on your computer, you do so with Driver Easy. Just click on the “Tools” tab, then look for “Driver Uninstall”. Locate the driver you would want to uninstall, then click “Uninstall” which is at the bottom right of the display.
Offline scan
One of the best features of Driver Easy is offline scan. It lets users scan computers that are not connected online for all the driver information and then feed this to another Windows computer that is connected online to download the latest drivers. You may then send this back to the original computer for installation.
How to download and install Driver Easy?
Downloading and installing Driver Easy is as easy and straightforward as any other executable file. The following are the steps on where and how to download the file as well as how to install it.
- Go to the official Driver Easy website then scroll to the bottom to look for the link that will allow you to download the “FREE” version of the app. You may purchase the “Pro” version through it later.
- Double-click the downloaded file to start the setup process. The file should be in executable format with the file name “DriverEasy_Setup”.
- Click “Yes” during the install prompt, and select the language. Click “OK”, and wait for a window that says “Install Now”. Wait for the installation to complete.
- Finally, click “Launch Now”.
How to manually update drivers on Driver Easy?
Now that you have installed Driver Easy on your Windows computer, it is now time to download and install the latest drivers.
Note that some of the features like the auto download and install only work for paid subscriptions. Regardless, there is still a way to manually update the drivers yourself.
- Launch Driver Easy, then go to the “Scan” tab and click “Scan Now”. Wait for several seconds or minutes to finish the scanning process.
- After successfully scanning your computer for the latest drivers, go back to the “Updates” tab. There, you will see all the available updates for several driver components.
- Now, go back again to the “Updates” tab. If you are using a “Pro” version, you may click the “Update All” button at the bottom right side of the screen. The free version calls for a manual approach. Click on the “Update” button of each driver to download.
- Now, before updating all the drivers, we suggest that you create a restore point. The “Pro” version automatically saves a restore point for you, but the free version does not. You can, however, manually create one.
- Wait for the download to finish (the free version has slower download speeds).
Now that you have downloaded the drivers, the following steps will teach you how to manually update each drive.
- On the “Updates” tab, click the downward arrow next to the driver that you want to update.
- On the drop-down, choose “Open File Location” to launch the file location.
- If the driver folder contains an executable file, you can just double-click on it. Otherwise, click the address bar and copy the driver’s full address.
- On your keyboard, simultaneously press the Windows key + R to launch the Run box. Now, type “devmgmt.msc” and then click the OK button.
- On Device Manager, expand each category to locate which driver you want to update. Just note that categories may vary with each computer.
- Now, right-click on the driver, select “Update driver” then select “Browse my computer for driver software“.
- On the location field, paste the full file address that you copied earlier, then click “Next“.
- Finally, wait for the driver to successfully update. You may need to restart your computer to finalize the update.
How to uninstall Driver Easy?
Uninstalling Driver Easy is as easy as the installation process. To do that, follow the steps below:
- To successfully uninstall Driver Easy, make sure that it is not running on your computer. Otherwise, close the app.
- Launch the Run dialog by pressing the “Windows key + R“, then type “appwiz.cpl” on the dialog box. Click OK.
- Look for Driver Easy in the Program list, then right-click and choose “Uninstall”. Confirm the uninstall by clicking Yes.
- Wait for the uninstallation process to finish.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is Driver Easy?
Driver Easy is a driver updater tool that is available for several Windows operating systems. It scans over a million device drivers and finds which one is compatible with your hardware. The “Pro” version allows for a one-click update, while the free version is only limited to scanning and downloading.
Is there a free version of Driver Easy?
Yes. Driver Easy also comes in a free version. However, unlike the “pro” version, the free version is only limited to scanning and downloading the drivers. You may still update drivers manually.
Is Driver Easy malware?
Unless you downloaded the app elsewhere, Driver Easy is safe to use and is not malware. Driver Easy is a driver updater tool that lets you scan over a million device drivers from trusted sources and easily install them on your computer.
